Mayor of London Mr. Sadiq Khan paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in his office today. Mayor Khan, accompanied by a 25-member delegation including business and media persons, is on his first visit to Pakistan, after assuming office.

The Prime Minister welcoming the Mayor said that every Pakistani is proud of his election as Mayor of London and prays for his success. The Prime Minister recalled his meeting with Prime Minister May in New York earlier and said that the Government of Pakistan accorded great importance to its close and cooperative relations with the United Kingdom, especially in the area of trade and investment. Pakistan’s relations with the UK were unique as their close and cordial relations were strengthened by the presence of large Pakistani community in the UK. The Prime Minister briefed the Mayor on the excellent opportunities for trade and investment in Pakistan. He informed the Mayor that due to the Government’s efforts, Pakistan had become surplus in energy, and in view of its successful counterterrorism efforts, made Pakistan an opportune destination for UK businesses. He hoped that the Mayor and his delegation, including the businessmen, would take this message to London that Pakistan was open and welcoming for trade, investment and meaningful cooperation.

Mayor Sadiq Khan informed the Prime Minister about his successful meetings with officials, media and businessmen after arrival in Pakistan. He said that he was impressed by the remarkable progress achieved by the Government in different areas, especially in infrastructure, technology and energy. He said that his visit had served to remove popular misperceptions and that he and his team will work towards strengthening economic links with Pakistan. He also mentioned that there were 1.7 million Pakistan-origin UK citizens who were proud of their heritage and gave the Pakistan-UK relations a special closeness. He invited Pakistan to take advantage of the favourable business opportunities in the UK post-Brexit. It was UK’s objective to develop closer economic partnerships with all countries especially those in the Commonwealth. He assured the Prime Minister that he would work towards fostering closer links between London, as its Mayor, and Pakistan.

The Mayor also informed the Prime Minister about his unveiling of the Bust of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah at the British Museum in a dignified ceremony on 28 November 2017 as part of the 70th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan. The Bust is now placed in the prestigious Lincoln's Inn. He recalled the event and paid rich tributes to the Founding Father of the Nation.